For over 20 years, the Odeonsplatz Concert has been an open-air highlight of the classical music summer, attracting over 16,000 viewers each year. In this concert event, conductor Lahav Shani leads the Münchner Philharmoniker in a varied programme “with his elegant, sensual and dance-like way of conducting…Shani is likely to win many points of favour with the concert audience. He has obviously won over the orchestra members long ago” (Münchner Merkur). Violin superstar Anne-Sophie Mutter shines in Saint-Saëns‘ virtuosic Introduction et Rondo capriccioso as well as a wonderful assortment of John Williams. “It’s been a long time since [the Odeonsplatz concert] has been this exciting” (Abendzeitung). PROGRAM: Weber – Overture to “Oberon”; Saint-Saëns – Introduction et Rondo capriccioso; Stravinsky – Firebird Suite (excerpt); Dukas – The Sorcerer’s Apprentice; Williams – Music from “The Witches of Eastwick”, “Sabrina”, “Harry Potter”, “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”, Imperial March from “Star Wars”
Festive Advent Concert at the Frauenkirche Dresden 2017
The Festive Advent Concert has become a much loved tradition in Dresden and one of German TV’s biggest classical music success stories. Christian Thielemann and his Staatskapelle Dresden present a programme ranging from the overture of Bach’s orchestra suite D major to Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s Christmas Cantata “Vom Himmel hoch”, Mozart’s Laudate Dominum, excerpts of Haydn’s Die Schöpfung (The Creation) and traditionals. German star soprano Diana Damrau with her “gorgeous and richly coloured timbre” (Sächsische Zeitung), the “brilliant” Helmut Fuchs on trumpet and the “very impressive” Choir of the Sächsische Staatsoper (Dresdner Neueste Nachrichten) create a festive concert experience together. The clear, enchanting soprano of Tuuli Takala blends perfectly with the beautiful, high baritone of Benjamin Appl, winner of the Gramophone Young Artist of the Year Award.
Stars of Tomorrow presented by Rolando Villazón – Episode 12
Program: Dmitri Shostakovich: Festive Overture / Gaetano Donizetti: “Prendi, per me sei libero” from L’elisir d’amore / Carl Maria von Weber: Concertino for Clarinet and Orchestra in E flat major / Alexander Glazunov: Chant du ménestrel for Cello and Orchestra / Johann Sebastian Bach: Cello Suite No. 1 in G major – Sarabande: Irving Berlin Puttin’ on the Ritz / Giacomo Puccini “O mio babbino caro” from Gianni Schicchi / Igor Stravinsky: Three pieces for Clarinet solo / Jules Massenet: Elégie / Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Overture to The Nutcracker
Kulturpalast Dresden: Festive Re-Opening 2017
One of Dresden’s most important concert halls was reopened with a concert performed by Festspielorchester Dresden after a three-and-a-half-year hiatus for the hall’s reconstruction. Following this reconstruction, the landmarked Kulturpalast, located in the heart of Dresden, offers optimal spatial and acoustic conditions for the first time in its nearly 150-year history. The concert of the Festspielorchester Dresden under the direction of Ivor Bolton featured works by Weber, Beethoven, and Schumann; the soloists were Nicola Benedetti, Alexander Melnikov, and Jan Vogler.
Sehnsucht – Jonas Kaufmann sings German Arias
From the Gasteig in Munich: Germany’s most popular Tenor Jonas Kaufmann presents an evening with the most famous German operatic arias. Amongst them ‘Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön’ from W.A. Mozart’s The Magic Flute, ‘In fernem Land’ from Wagner’s Lohengrin and ‘Winterstürme’ from Walküre, as well as works by Carl Maria von
Weber (‘Freischütz’). With this repertoire Kaufmann goes back to his roots: ‘I grew up with this music. It is embedded in my genes.’
New Year’s Eve Concert 1985
Is there such a thing as a Karajan “sound”? Beginning toward the end of his career, Herbert von Karajan began to attract criticism for having pushed his particular obsession clarity of an orchestra’s sound to the extreme. This New Year’s concert with the Berliner Philharmoniker is typical of his later interpretive approach: Karajan draws a particular sound out of the orchestra, but he and his musicians still take care to modulate that sound according to the repertoire they are playing. Their clear and precise performance of Weber’s brilliant Freischütz Overture is followed by their hypnotic string sound in Puccini and Leoncavallo’s two Intermezzi, culminating in the progressive and determined build-up of Ravel’s Boléro.